Whistleblower
by magicdoeshappen
Summary: CURRENTLY ON HIATUS...C/G and E/OC but mainly Gillian-centric.  Worlds collide when Gillian's past comes back to her haunt her.  Cal's pride and credibility is put on the line and compromises their relationship.  Rating for later chapts and some language.
1. Let's Dance, Ginger

_**A/N **__This is my first ever multi-chapter story. Generally speaking, articulating drawn out plots is a weakness of mine so reviews would be brilliant. I didn't use a BETA for this either, so I really hope there aren't any terribly distracting errors. _

_I really wanted to write something that focused more on Loker, who I feel has been criminally underused throughout the series. Despite this, Callian is my drug so rest assured that is the focus of this fic. _

_Usual disclaimer applies. Own nothing except for the enigmatic character that is Isabel Farrow. All ideas and mistakes/typos/inconsistencies are my own as well xx_

XXX

"You bringing a date to this thing?" he wagged his eyebrows and he grinned at her mischievously. Gillian rolled her eyes as this usual charade. "Are you ever going to stop doing that?"

"Doin' what love?"

"Interrogating me about my love life". Her voice was firm but her eyes twinkled as she suppressed a grin. "Unlikely, darlin'. Unlikely". She bit her bottom lip apprehensively and turned to face him, "as a matter of fact, I am". Gillian, in a moment of gleeful sadism, noted the surprise tempered with disappointment dancing over Cal's face, "he's a complete pain in the ass but I figure no one else will want to go with him". Catching on, Cal grinned as he linked his arm through hers while they walked down the hallway to their respective offices, "at least he's an excellent dancer".

XXX

Ria looked over her mug of coffee at Eli who had assumed a very Lightman-esque sprawl in his desk chair. Ria considered him silently. She had come to like him; she appreciated his honesty, his work ethic and his quirky intelligence. Despite her first impression of Loker as a coddled and self-indulgent Ivy League grad, Ria and Eli had settled into a productive working relationship. What Ria hadn't expected was that they would become rather good friends.

He slouched with legs outstretched and ankles crossed, casually clicking his mouse scanning through a recently imported file of images. "Is Isabel coming tonight?" she asked casually sipping her black coffee. Eli's face lit up at the mention of Isabel's name which he tried to mitigate with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, "why? Do you need a date Torres?"

"I don't know why you bother" Ria stated, placing the mug on her desk.

"Bother with what?" Eli craned his neck awkwardly away from the computer screen to look her in the eyes.

"Trying to pretend you don't like her as much as you do" Ria smirked at him, her eyes flashing with amusement, "the truth's written all over your face".

A gentle pink bloomed at the base of Eli's neck. 'Oh God', he thought; 'I'm blushing'. He returned his gaze back to the computer screen which displayed a photograph of President Obama standing at a podium, right hand to his face in a fist, but for the middle finger which was extended, ostensibly scratching his nose. In micro-expression jargon, this particular gesture is a not-so-subtle "fuck you" to the person it is directed at. "Do some work Torres" Eli said, mimicking the image with his free hand as a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

XXX

Cal deposited Gillian in her office where she was greeted with a stack of files a foot-tall on her desk to peruse. Gillian groaned as she flicked through the top-most one. Today was going to be a long day. "At least I know you don't just sit around looking pretty all the time, love" Cal offered as he bared his teeth in a smirk.

"Yes, I would hate for you to actually have to do some work yourself Cal" she countered, equally sarcastic. Gillian sat down in front of the daunting monolith of paperwork towering above her and sighed, Cal squeezed her shoulder as he turned and strolled out of her office.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Cal yelled as he sauntered down the empty hallway past the similarly empty break room. He paused at the tech room, and peering through the glass of the door saw Loker and Torres sitting at their respective desks, pretending to look busy.

"Alrigh' you two?" Cal asked by way of greeting, entering their space. Both Ria and Eli's heads shot up from their desks. "Dr. Lightman! We were…" Ria fished for an excuse, a redundant exercise given Cal had already clocked the twist of her hands and the obvious, albeit brief, eye flicker left and downward as she tried to quickly formulate a white lie. "We were just–" Loker too was cut off as Cal raised his right hand in a weak 'stop' gesture. "You were both just sittin' around, on _my _time, gossipin' and _pretendin' _to work. I wasn't born yesterday ya know". He studied their faces as Ria gave Eli a searching look, her eyes pleading him 'help me out here!'

"So, what were ya talkin' 'bout?" Cal asked animatedly, plopping himself into the spare chair between Ria and Eli's desks. Ria smiled, relieved, he was in a good mood today. "I was asking Loker if the lovely Isabel was going to be gracing us with her presence tonight, and he was deflecting". Cal tilted his head to the left, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips, "you shouldn't pretend that you don't like her as much as you do" Cal had his right index finger out tracing circles in the air in front of Eli's face "the truth is written all over your face". Ria shot Eli a smug, knowing look.

"Well is she?" Cal stood as he regarded Loker's face, then he turned and began to cross the room. Eli rolled his eyes, "this office is hell on earth. You know that right?" With his hand on the door handle Cal looked over his shoulder back at Loker, amusement dancing across his brow and settling in the creases of his mouth, "I wouldn't have it any other way Loker".

XXX

The day had been ticking over as usual without any major dramas to deal with, something that pleased Gillian in particular. In fact, Gillian was happy with the way the company was running generally. The workload was a good, constant stream of challenging and interesting cases that didn't spread the team too thin but kept them busy and still brought in a decent income enabling the Lightman Group to happily remain in the black. Gillian glanced at the time on her laptop screen in front of her, it was one o'clock and she could feel her stomach starting to ache. Breakfast at 6:00am seemed a long time ago.

Gillian made her way to the break room, smiling in acknowledgment to her colleagues who passed her in the hall. It seemed everyone had decided to break for lunch at the same time; Gillian nodded at Ria and Cal who were seated in the corner with several files scattered over the table they shared, weighted down by containers of half eaten sandwiches and small bottles of mineral water. Cal's unorthodox manner with Ria fascinated Gillian. In front of other staff members he could be brusque, superior and condescending towards her, but then there were these sweet moments when Gillian could see him trying so hard to rein in his overwhelming desire flood his protégé with everything he knew about his science. His respect for Ria's natural ability and her easy way of picking up the finer nuances of the science was unspoken, and he often belittled her out loud: his distaste for the "uneducated" barely masked, but Gillian knew Cal and she knew he believed in Ria. Cal Lightman didn't waste his time with people he didn't believe in.

Gillian opened the staff fridge and took out a Tupperware container of salad she had brought in from home and moved to the coffee machine to make a latte. Loker smiled as Gillian made her way over to him, dipping his head slightly he acknowledged her, "afternoon Boss. You've been busy today!" Eli closed the microwave door and punched several buttons on its display. "If I don't ever see another tax return form I will die a happy woman…" her train of thought faltered as she watched the plate inside the microwave spin around, "lasagne Loker? Good God, this is the first time I have ever seen you bring lunch to work. Is everything OK?" she teased. Eli smiled shyly, "Isabel cooked for me last night" he said as he removed the plate from the microwave and made his way to a nearby, empty table. Gillian sat down opposite him, "ah, Isabel. And how are things with you two?" She knew it sounded slightly derisive, and she didn't mean to offend Eli but from the moment Gillian had met Isabel something hadn't sat right. She couldn't quite put her finger on it – call it woman's intuition – but there was something that made her uneasy and it was particularly frustrating because the rest of her colleagues adored Isabel almost as much as Eli did. Eli regarded Gillian carefully before answering, he knew she wasn't enamoured with Isabel and it irritated him that she had no real grounds to dislike his girlfriend. He was sure she wasn't trying to interfere, but with those sharp blue eyes penetrating him, Loker couldn't help but feel like he should be guarded. "Isabel is great thanks Dr Foster. She was very impressed by you when you met; in fact, I think you're a bit of a hero of hers given her psychology background. She's always talking about you. She's coming tonight with me to this benefit thing, so perhaps you could catch up then?" Gillian's mouth curled and flashed contempt; it was so brazenly obvious you wouldn't need to be trained in their profession to identify her true feelings, before breaking into a forced smile; "that sounds lovely Eli". Gillian gently pushed her chair from the table and made her way back to her office squeezing Cal's shoulder as she walked past.

XXX

Cal smiled inwardly at her gentle, familiar touch. His eyes followed Gillian's retreating figure, "I'll be in to talk to ya about tha' Williams case later on Foster, yeah?" he almost had to half yell it as she was closer to her office than the break room, she waved her hand above her head signalling her agreement. Cal returned his attention to Ria and the stack of files in front of them. "She seems a bit distracted" Ria mused, "I wonder if Isabel was the topic of their lunchtime discussion…"

"When you're done stirring Torres, I'd be 'appy ta get back ta work".

"Sorry Dr Lightman, point taken. None of my business." She started to stack the files into a neat pile and pushed her chair back "I think I can take this from here. Thanks for giving up your lunch hour for me". Cal smiled, what endeared him to Ria the most was that she didn't completely comprehend her own potential brilliance, "my pleasure love". He gathered up their empty take-out sandwich boxes and water bottles to toss into the bin, faltering slightly, Cal sighed and turned to her "you can't see it either can you Torres?" his tone was inquisitive, not accusatory, "what Foster sees?" he clarified. Ria shrugged, signalling her exasperation as she looked back at Cal. It had been bothering her since day one that neither of them could read what Gillian allegedly could, "no. I don't get anything suspect from her in the slightest. Isabel seems like a perfectly normal woman. Loker's got himself a catch I'd say". Cal could see she wasn't lying and that it genuinely bothered her that she was at odds to understand Gillian's resistance to this new woman in Eli's life. "Yea, but that's the thing, innit. No one's 'perfectly normal' are they?"

Ria gave him a wry smile murmuring "cynic" as Cal tossed their lunch remains in the rubbish bin. They parted and Cal stalked towards Gillian's office, his mind working over everything he could recall about Isabel. As much as he didn't want to voice it, the conclusion he ultimately came to was that Foster must have got it wrong. If there was something off about her how could he and Ria both not see it? That was impossible.

XXX

Gillian was standing at her bookshelf, fingers trailing over the spines of various textbooks and journals before they settled on what she had been searching for. Pulling it from the shelf, she flicked through the well-read tome before pausing at the page she needed. Cal knocked twice as he pushed her office door open, "this a bad time Foster?" his arms were laden with a rather thick file. Gillian placed the book down on the mantle of the shelf and turned to face him, "no, not at all, I was going to see you shortly in fact". They met in the middle of the room and Cal opened the file to the first page, "so, this rich old bastard wants us to find who has been threatening him, yes?" Gillian could practically taste the disdain Cal had for the 'rich old bastard' as he put it, "well, you've glossed over a few points, but in a nutshell, yes".

"And he reckons it's one of his thousands of employees because confidential information has been leaked to competitors and the threats are of a nature that only someone with internal access could make?"

"Correct".

"And so, instead of having us haul in those that fit the profile he's throwing us a party? Some people just 'ave too much bloody money".

"He isn't throwing _us_ a party Cal" she admonished, rolling her eyes, "it's a benefit that his firm already had in the pipeline but Mr Williams wants us there in an informal capacity. To observe, if you will ". She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him, "you have made sure that everyone from our end knows this is work haven't you Cal? And not a free for all with booze and food at the expense of a paying client" she eyed him carefully. Cal chose to stare her down, his mask lifted so she could see the twinkle in his eye and the smile that flirted with the corners of his mouth, "Cal, you yourself are aware that this is still work and not a free for all with booze and food at the expense of a paying client, don't you?" he could be so childish, and it was made even more irritating merely by virtue of the fact that he knew he was being irritating. "Oh come on Gill, it's gonna be fun. We'll drink and we'll work. And I can be a smug bastard all night because you'll be the most gorgeous woman in the room, and you'll be on _my _arm" he winked at her, "look, I've even been going over the file, I take this seriously Foster" he thrust the file towards her.

Gillian took the file tentatively, eyeing him up, "so you have actually read this, Cal?" he smiled, waggling his eyebrows at her, "you betcha". They lapsed into silence as Gillian thumbed the pages of information. "So we'll just chat to the employees in turn, see what they can tell us. Find out why Williams and his company would have been the target…" she trailed off looking at Cal, "aside from the fact he's got pots of money stashed all over the show which I reckon is decent incentive for anyone to start a smear campaign".

"See love, you're all over this. By rights I should be able to just sit there and get drunk and you'll do a brilliant job". She returned his cheeky smile with a gentle slap on the arm. "I'll pick you up at seven, love".

"That would be lovely" she said and she playfully pushed him out of her office. "Now go and do some work!"

_**A/N **__I had already had this all drafted before 'Rebound' aired and it was revealed that Cal's pug had been called Isabel. I was too attached to the name to change it, but it is a 100% coincidence for those that may have been wondering._


	2. Satan in a Sunday Dress

_**A/N**__ This chapter takes place three weeks prior to chapter one. Usual disclaimer applies._

XXX

Eli shifted in the passenger's seat, the soft leather of the Audi A3 moulding to his form. He proudly regarded at the woman seated next to him. Her eyes were fixed on the road, one hand on the steering wheel, the other casually resting on the gear shaft. Her honey blonde hair was twisted up in an understated chignon, her deep brown eyes sparkled. Isabel Farrow was enigmatic: she had an aura that drew people in with her easy smile and kind face. Eli had never met someone as empathetic as she – her capacity to love and to be loved seemed bottomless. A thousand high school English clichés ran through his mind: those dreadfully overused ones referring to phoenixes and rising from the ashes: people overcoming apparently insurmountable obstacles to find themselves 'reborn'. He scoffed at the thought, but Isabel did kind of epitomise the notion. Placed in foster care when she was nine, her family died in some kind of tragic accident that she hadn't fully disclosed. She bounced from one home to another until she was 15 when she was awarded a full scholarship to a prestigious all-girls high school just out of Washington DC. The world of academia became the only world she cared to know and was ultimately accepted into Harvard Law after completing a psychology degree. Her formative years, riddled with instability and loneliness, had catalysed her blossoming into a self-assured, intelligent and resilient young woman.

Eli studied her as she manoeuvred the car through a particularly busy intersection. The sheer cream blouse flattered her figure, tapering at her waist and disappearing underneath a knee-length, rather fitted, black corporate skirt. Eli noted the impressive black pumps on her feet – to drive in those probably took a bit of practice. In fact, right down to her manicured hands she was completely put together. She was truly elegant. He gently placed his hand on top of hers on the gear stick, squeezing it slightly. She smiled; her full lips were stained slightly pink and the tiniest of dimples formed in her cheeks. It had taken Eli a long time to work out what it was about her that drew him in like a moth to a flame. He came to the conclusion that it was her eyes. Those deep, dark pools of brown. They were breathtakingly beautiful; drowning Eli with their sincerity. They were soulful and kind; expressive and unguarded. They elicited an instant trust and lit up with warmth.

"What?" she giggled, looking to her right at Eli, "do I have something on my face?" He smiled, "no, your face is perfect". Isabel indicated as The Lightman Group came into view and the Audi rolled to a stop just outside. "So I'll collect you tonight then? Shall I meet you here?" Eli smiled at her, how did he get so lucky? "Would you like to come in and meet everyone tonight? We usually have a drink on a Friday afternoon when everything is winding down". Isabel smiled, the deep brown turned a little darker when her pupils widened, "that would be lovely" she whispered as she leant over and kissed him.

XXX

Gillian's heels clicked rhythmically on the polished concrete hallway as she made her way to her office. Rounding the corner she was met with a loud "oi!" and Cal's confused face came into view. "Good afternoon to you too Cal" she said, slightly mocking, as he took her elbow in his hand and began to guide her away from her office. "Cal, where are we going? I need to get some files together for this meeting I have in," she checked her wristwatch quickly "twenty minutes".

"This'll only take a sec Foster" she looked at him sideways, querying, as they crossed into his office. "I promise. And it's urgent". He bared his teeth at her in a pseudo-smile and shut the door firmly.

"Ok, what is it?"

"What the hell is going on with Loker?"

"What?"

"What the hell is wrong with Loker? He's been practically skipping all bloody day".

"This was the urgent thing you needed to talk to me about" the look on Gillian's face was incredulous, "you're a bigger gossip than a teenage girl!" There was a decisive tap at the office door, "we're busy!" Cal yelled as the door began to swing open and Ria's apologetic face appeared in the crack between the door and the jamb. "Sorry, but your three o'clock has arrived Dr Foster…They're early" she elaborated, lurking in the doorway, shifting on her feet. Gillian rolled her eyes, "I told you I didn't have time for this Cal" she patted his shoulder affectionately, teasing him, "Loker's fine but I will pass your concern along".

"Why wouldn't Loker be fine?" Ria was confused. Cal sighed, "he's been running around the place smiling like an idiot. It looks like he's in a bleedin' musical and I really don't want 'im breaking out into song. Ever."

"Oh…" realisation dawning on Ria's face. "He's got a girlfriend" she said simply. Cal walked to his desk, exhaling loudly as he sat down "well, that's certainly something. Who would want to go out with Loker?" Gillian rolled her eyes again and exited the office, "I'll talk to you later Cal". Cal looked at Ria, "I'm serious Torres. Who?" Ria smiled, she loved it when Cal was the last to know, it really got under his skin to know his colleagues knew something before he did. "You can meet her tonight. I think she's coming in after work to collect Loker and have a drink." She looked down at her watch and remembered the unfinished report that was sitting on her desk. The one she had told Lightman she had finished two days ago, "I've, um, got to get back to work now…" she began to pull the door shut again, "afternoon Boss".

The door clicked shut and Cal leant back in his desk chair, crossing his ankles on his desk. Well who would have bloody thought? Loker had a girlfriend and from the looks of it, she had him hook, line and sinker.

XXX

Anna popped her head into the break room where Gillian was perched on the edge of a table swilling a generous glass of red wine gently. "I'm off now Dr Foster. A couple of couriers came for you so I put the packages on your desk. They aren't urgent". Gillian smiled at the young girl, "thank you Anna. You're sure you don't want to stay for a glass of wine? Meet this girl of Loker's?" she raised an eyebrow mischievously; "she seems to have been the topic of conversation today". Anna laughed quietly, "thanks, but I need to get going. Have a good weekend".

"You too Anna".

It was starting to get dark and the noise of the traffic below the building had picked up. The steady rhythm of Friday night beginning to peak and flood the city. Gillian swallowed a mouthful of wine with eyes closed savouring the robust, rich flavour. Her thoughts drifted to Cal and she giggled to herself recalling his reaction to being told about Loker. She loved how antsy he got when he was the last to know something. "What's so funny Boss?" Gillian opened her eyes to see Ria at the bench filling a glass with the same wine Gillian was drinking, "oh nothing really. Just today. It was a weird day".

"I know what you mean" Torres replied, sitting in a chair facing Gillian who was still perched on the table, "Lightman did not like that he was the last to know about Isabel".

"Is that her name? Isabel?" Gillian asked. "Mmm" nodded Ria in confirmation as she sipped from her glass.

"It's a control thing. Lightman getting like that," Gillian gestured towards cal's office with her wine glass, "it's this hypocritical control complex he has. No qualms about hiding things from me. _Us_, rather. The company." Her free hand moved with a flourish, clarifying the point. Gillian knew that Ria understood quite well the nuances of her relationship with Cal. "But, boy, he cannot handle it the other way round" she continued, taking another mouthful of wine. Ria laughed, "I guess that's why he's as good as he is though. The control thing. He needs to control the environment to find the lies". She considered Gillian for a moment, "you'd think it would be a psychologist's dream to work with a walking case study, but perhaps not". Gillian smiled wryly, "it's definitely exhausting". The reverberation of footsteps down the hallway interrupted the pair's conversation as their attention turned to the glass windows, waiting to see who would round the corner.

XXX

"I'm nervous Eli" Isabel whispered as they pushed open the large door to The Lightman Group. "Don't be. They'll love you. I'm actually one of the lucky ones to have pretty decent co-workers". Eli squeezed her hand and shrugged his shoulder slightly, "Although…well, there is Lightman. I've worked for the man for years now and I still don't have the exact measure of him. He's unpredictable to say the least. But he will flirt shamelessly with you". Isabel returned the squeeze, "I'm excited to meet Dr Foster". No sooner had the name left her mouth, they turned the corner to see Gillian and Ria sitting in the break room, wine glasses in hand, peering into the corridor.

Gillian stood up from the table smiling. She placed her glass down behind her and clasped her hands at her stomach. Ria had followed suit, uncrossing her legs and standing to greet the pair. "Dr Foster, Torres, this is Isabel" Eli offered, slightly nervously, as they came to meet in the centre of the room. Isabel smiled politely and both women glanced at each other, this girl was absolutely stunning, "it's a pleasure to meet both of you" she said. "I'm Ria. It's so nice to put a face to a name. Can I get you both a drink?" she looked at Loker smiling, she thought she had better be nice to him for once. She could tease him all she wanted on Monday, but for the sake of his man-card, she would refrain from mocking him just this once. Loker nodded at Torres gratefully. He knew she would make up for this on Monday but he was thankful she had taken the high road this time. "A beer would be great thanks Torres". He looked at Isabel, his hand gently resting on the small of her back, "I'd love a glass of wine thank you Ria". As Torres moved towards the fridge to collect a bottle and another wine glass Gillian proffered her hand, "you seem to have thoroughly impressed our Eli here, Isabel". As Isabel grasped her hand Gillian could have sworn she saw her full lips curl in contempt but before Gillian could even register what she thought she'd seen Isabel's face broke out in a warm and confident smile. "It's such an honour to meet you Dr Foster. I have read your book back-to-front. I majored in psychology at college before I was accepted into law school". Gillian studied the beautiful face before her, wide brown eyes drinking in her surroundings, "that is very kind of you to say Isabel. Please, call me Gillian".

"I feel a bit star-struck" she confided, "you have been such an inspiration to me. The work you did on children suffering from PTSD", she gave Gillian an appraising look, "your later involvement at the Pentagon. Of course I don't know the finer details, but I understand you were an asset". She smiled, awestruck. There were no indications of deception so far as Gillian could tell, perhaps she was just nervous, she did seem impressed by meeting the 'illustrious' Dr Foster, but her expressions almost seemed contrived – lasting a fraction of a second too long. "I'm flattered. Thank you. It's always nice to hear from people who know my work". A glass of wine appeared at Isabel's side which she accepted from Ria.

Gillian stepped back, resuming her perch on the table, watching Ria and Isabel interact. There was something about her that bothered Gillian. There was virtually nothing to go on, bar her own gut instinct and a few fleeting expressions she _thought _she had seen. "So, what do you think?" Loker was at her side, like an eager child waiting to hear a parent's praise. "She certainly is beautiful Loker". As she met Loker's gaze she was distracted, over his shoulder she could see Isabel staring at her. The hauntingly beautiful brown eyes suddenly appeared calculating. But no sooner had Gillian blinked all she could see was Isabel was smiling warmly, her eyes twinkling in delight at Ria's conversation.

XXX

Gillian looked at the empty wine bottle sitting on the table that the four of them sat around chatting. She suddenly realised Lightman had still not turned up. Surely he hadn't snuck out without saying goodnight? And then, like he could tell she was thinking about him, Cal entered the break room. "Aye, aye, what have we got here then?"

Loker sprung to his feet, praying to any and all Gods that Lightman behaved himself. Evidently, they weren't listening. Isabel rotated in her chair to face Cal. Her striking face broke out into an animated smile, "Dr Lightman, I assume. Eli speaks very highly of your work". Cal made no attempt to hide the less-than-subtle once-over he gave Isabel. "Cal…" Gillian began to caution him; she might have her reservations about the girl but this was inappropriate. "Dr Lightman, this is Isabel". Cal removed the cap from a beer with flourish and took a long draught before stating matter-of-factly, "I once had a pug called Isabel". Eli cleared his throat, "Isabel is working in the DA's office." Lightman smirked, "oh God, my ex-wife is a lawyer. Assistant Attorney General in fact. Stubborn as all hell". For the second time Cal's eyes began roaming up and down Isabel's body, his gaze halting briefly over her impressive figure. "Oh," Isabelle held Eli's gaze confused and uncertain, "well, that's nice" she offered, her voice rising at the end making it sound more like a question than a statement. "Bet you're a hot-headed wee thing" Cal commented licking his lips. He loved how awkward this was making Eli despite the fact he was probably scaring the poor girl witless. "That's the problem with you lawyer types-" he continued before being rapidly cut off by Eli. "Ok! That's great Dr Lightman." Taking Isabelle's hand in his, he squeezed it reassuringly, "have a good weekend. I'll see you on Monday".

"Goodnight Loker" Gillian tried to convey a silent apology to the couple. Ria had been standing behind Eli, dumbfounded, for the duration. She silently gathered her belongings, muttered a "goodnight" to Cal and Gillian and quickly followed Loker and Isabel down the hall and out of the building.

They heard the heavy door at the reception closing with a resounding thud. Gillian turned to Cal open-mouthed. "Oh come on, I know you love to see Loker squirm".

"You are completely socially inept Cal Lightman", a smile was playing on her lips as she collected the empty glasses to put in the dishwasher. "Is that your personal or professional opinion, Dr Foster?" He drained the green bottle. Gillian rolled her eyes and gave him an exasperated smile before collecting her purse and coat from the back of a chair and making her way out to the hallway. "Both then?" he called after her retreating figure. "Goodnight Cal!" He saw her wave her hand above her head and he could have sworn he heard a giggle.


	3. Evidence of Things Unseen

_**A/N **__thanks for all the encouragement so far guys. The party is coming next, I promise. Just need to lay a bit more groundwork (and finish some more chapters!) This takes place one week after chapter two, i.e. it sits neatly between chapter one and two. Normalcy will resume shortly – there is method to my madness. I think ;) _

Gillian flicked through the top-most pages of the morning's Washington Post that lay on the counter adjacent to the till of her favourite coffee shop, conveniently located virtually next door to The Lightman Group. She glanced at her wristwatch, biting her lower lip slightly. It was nearly 8am. She hated being late. Cal would probably be arriving just now. He'd neatly manoeuvre his sedan next to her car already parked in its allocated spot. He'd meander down the halls to his office via hers to say good morning like he usually does. He'd flick through the files on her desk and look at the pictures that lined the bookshelf before heading to the break room to pour his morning coffee. Hopefully Anna would already be in and had turned the coffee filter on; otherwise it was going to be a long day. Her gaze travelled to the overworked barista hidden behind the large espresso machine with steam obscuring his face. Stacks of cups and receipts with coffee orders lined the bench top. She was going to be late. She hated being late. Gillian sighed and resumed staring at the newspaper's leading story.

Isabel and Eli walked briskly down the road, takeaway coffee cups in hand, coming to a sudden stop outside the impressive building that housed The Lightman Group. "You're sure you're not going to get in trouble for being late?" as she spoke her eyes smiled, almost as if she was teasing him, but her voice was tinged with concern.

"Its fine. It's 8:15, I'm hardly late," he paused and saw over her shoulder a rather harried looking Dr Foster marching towards the building, 'besides", he continued, "Foster's only arriving now too".

Gillian could see Loker and Isabel standing on the pavement near the entrance to The Lightman Group offices. As she approached the pair Isabel spun around, smoothing her charcoal shift dress with her free hand. "Good morning Eli, Isabel" she said acknowledging them with a curt nod. God she hated being late. Eli smiled at Isabel, "I better get going, I'll see you later". Gillian waited, not altogether patiently, while he pecked Isabel on the cheek. Isabel turned to Gillian, "it was nice to see you again Gillian". Gillian's eyebrows pulled together in surprise for a moment. Isabel's tone was barbed with an understated malice. Gillian quickly gave a sideways glance at Eli who seemed to have noticed nothing. The flawless, stunning face before her was plastered with a smile, but there was no brow manipulation, no wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. "You too, Isabel", Gillian returned a similarly artificial expression before striding towards the double doors.

XXX

Gillian had barely got past the reception desk before there was an arm around her waist and Cal's familiar hazel eyes inches from her face. "Someone's late" he commented stepping back to fully appreciate what was in front of him like you would a rare and treasured piece of art. His eyes cast up and down her body, drinking in the navy blue dress that wrapped snugly about her figure and the high black pumps on her feet. Her legs looked fantastic. She drained the last of her coffee and wrapped her free arm around his back, briefly resting her head on his shoulder as they walked down the hallway, "It's been the morning from hell" she muttered.

"Well love, its only going to get better. We've been contacted by this so-and-so Gavin Williams – you might have heard of him? He owns that security company or some bollocks. Its going to be thoroughly boring work which we're all much too qualified to undertake," he waggled his eyebrows at her emphasising his point, and pushed her glass office door open with his free hand allowing Gillian to enter first, "but he's a rich old codger and I understand that the powers that be haven't quite quit breathing down our necks yet". Gillian smiled as she threw her coffee cup in the trash and started up her computer, so he had been listening to at least some of what she said.

"So you've said we'll take the case?" She looked at him expectantly, "what's it about?"

"Well that's the thing love…" He paused, his face full of mirth, "I thought I'd let you do this one. It just seemed a bit…boring". He winked at her as he handed her a fairly thick dossier, the cover page emblazoned with the Williams Security logo. "And don't worry; you're excused for being late".

Gillian looked dejected as he sauntered out of her office, "I wish I hadn't come in today".

"Chin up love!" Cal shouted back, clearly not quite out of earshot. Gillian shook her head and bravely opened the thick folder.

XXX

Activity in the hallway had increased. Clearly it was mid-afternoon. People wandering up and down without any real purpose except for some brief respite from the cryptic work that taunted them from afar. Gillian watched the steady foot traffic through her glass wall. She leant back in her chair, pushing away the thick dossier that she had spent almost the entire day reading and working on. It shouldn't have taken her all day. But she had been distracted: her attention-span waned every 45 minutes and her thoughts drifted to the morning's events, namely the bizarre episode with Isabel outside The Lightman Group.

The door to her office swung open and Gillian snapped to attention. "Sorry to disturb you Dr Foster, your extension is on divert and a man, a Mr Williams, has been calling for you all day. He's getting kind of aggressive". Gillian rubbed the back of her neck; the last thing she wanted was a conversation with Gavin Williams. His problems were infinitesimal in the scheme of things and she could knew that he would be a man who took himself too seriously – arrogant and irritating. No, Gillian was not in the mood. She smiled sweetly at Anna, "tell him, as gently as you can, that my phone is on divert because I am working and do not wish to be disturbed. I will return his calls first thing tomorrow. Tell him that his case is our top priority". Gillian swivelled back into her desk before looking back up at Anna, "Oh, and whatever you do, do not put him through to Lightman, God knows he'll say something dreadfully offensive and we'll lose the account".

Anna nodded, "I understand. Sorry for the interruption". The young girl backed out of the office and retraced her steps back to the reception desk. Gillian looked at the screen of her computer, it was just after four. She stood up, stretching her back. She needed a break. She wondered what Cal was doing.

XXX

Torres was just leaving Lightman's office as Gillian arrived.

"Oh thank God it's you Foster. You wont have any stupid questions to bother me with" he looked pointedly at Ria's back as the two women crossed each other by the office door. Gillian saw Ria roll her eyes, her lips thin and Gillian sympathised with her for a moment. This was Cal's way of teaching: pushing Ria to challenge herself. Gillian did not envy his protégé. Her job was probably more stressful than Gillian's at times. Gillian closed the door gently behind her and moved to the middle of the room. "Cal, can I talk to you about something?"

He was already walking over to her, looking at her earnestly, "of course love, what's the matter?"

Gillian gave a half-hearted laugh, "I feel stupid talking about this. It's kind of unprofessional."

"I can't possibly think of any reason why you might assume unprofessional behaviour is within the ambit of my expertise" he deadpanned.

Gillian rolled her eyes, "if you're going to take this as an opportunity to be a pain in the ass then I'm leaving".

"No, no. Stay. Tell me what's botherin' ya Foster" he took a seat on the couch in his office and motioned for her to sit next to him. Gillian instead lowered herself onto the armchair, perching on the edge leaning forward. Her hands were clasped in her lap and her blue eyes were already piercing his: probing his face for answers to questions he didn't yet know.

XXX

Cal slouched down the couch as Gillian finished her spiel. Gillian watched his hazel eyes flicking over her face, betraying absolutely nothing. Typical. "So you _think_ you saw her flash a couple of _very _fleeting micro-expressions at ya, that were out of the norm?"

"Yes."

"But you're not actually certain?"

"I am certain I am not making this up".

"But no one else has picked up on these…ticks?"

"Not that I am aware." Gillian sighed, she knew how it sounded.

"You sound a bit bloody paranoid love, if you don't mind my saying…" She smiled wryly, well, it was almost more of a grimace really, and began picking at the upholstery on the arm of the chair, her voice however remained steady and she spoke with conviction, "I know what it sounds like Cal. This is why I didn't want to say anything". Her attention was directed to a loose thread unravelling at the very end of the armrest. She pulled and teased the thread between her thumb and forefinger. "But I'm not imagining it. There's something off about her." Gillian paused again as the loose thread snapped away in her hand. She looked up at Cal; he could see the raw determination on her face, "what do you think about running a little check on her?"

"Gill, we can't do that" Cal began softly.

"You did it to me. With Dave" her icy response warned Cal to tread very carefully. "I know what I saw Cal. I know what I feel. I know I am right about his."

Cal extended his arm so his hand could rest on Gillian's knee closest to him. It was meant to be reassuring. It felt condescending. "Problem is love, you're gonna have to prove this one".

_**A/N **__again, just to clarify, the chronology for the events so far is chapt 2, chapt 3, chapt 1. _


	4. It's a Fine Line Between Rage and Lust

_**A/N **__timeline is back to normal people. The evening of the party. Enjoy. Reviews are appreciated xx_

Gillian had just slipped on the impressive nude pumps when she heard the gentle crunch of tyres on gravel outside her front door. "It's open" she shouted to Cal as he rapped gently on the front door. Gillian turned to face him as he crossed the threshold, "I'm just about ready, I can't find my cell phone" she cast her head wildly about the lounge and spotted it sitting on the corner of her kitchen table. "Ok, let's go". She smiled at him as she snapped her clutch shut. "You left all the files at the office, didn't you? We'll pop back tonight to update the information while it's still fresh". She cocked her head to the side, trying to find his eye line, "Cal? Are you listening?"

"Sorry love, I was just," he looked her up and down appreciatively, his eyes resting on her face, "you really do look beautiful". Gillian smiled and ran her hands over the dark charcoal-almost-purple cocktail dress. She loved that when Cal complimented her it was so honest. She knew he unequivocally believed what he was saying. That he truly thought she looked beautiful. It's the little things, right?

XXX

Arm in arm they ascended the imposing stone steps and entered through the wide archway. "Champagne, Ma'am? Sir?"

Cal shook his head, nodding his head towards Gillian "we're on duty tonight, thanks". Gillian smiled inwardly, relief and pride washed over her. With alcohol out of the picture the odds that she would end up having to watch him flirt shamelessly (and probably successfully) with numerous young women had decreased significantly.

"I told you I take this seriously Foster" he commented as they moved across the polished floor to where their client, the eminent Gavin Williams stood. Like she had read his mind, Gillian rubbed his arm and said "I'll see you inside Cal" as Williams approached.

XXX

"Well that was painful" whispered Gillian to Cal as she rejoined him further in the colossal ballroom. Cal smirked at her, "perhaps we could have just one drink, yeah?"

"Absolutely".

Cal crossed the room to the bar passing Ria, Eli and Isabel who had clearly just arrived and were making their way over to Gillian. "Hey" she greeted them with a smile.

"How's it all going?" Ria already assuming her professional role, unwilling to be seduced by the glamour and ostentation of their surroundings.

"I've spoken with Mr Williams. His main concern is that we aren't intrusive. I thought if you and Loker just wandered through looking out for any of the indicators we talked about earlier today?" Loker and Torres nodded their understanding. Loker cleared his throat, "what's the status on drunk employees?"

"Fair game, I guess. But take them outside".

Ria placed her evening bag on the table adjacent to them and turned to Loker, "shall we get this done then?" Loker nodded in acquiescence and smiled tightly at Isabel, his guilt for leaving her was clear. Placing a hand between Ria's shoulder blades he guided them towards the bar, their chosen starting point.

Gillian twisted the ring on her finger distractedly. She could feel Isabel's dark eyes on her. She looked up awkwardly, and indeed, Isabel was patiently watching. The two women stood in stony silence. Gillian almost felt ashamed to be caught up in such a bizarre and petty stand off. What the hell was taking Cal so long?

In a valiant attempt to break the ice, well versed in small talk and pleasantries, Isabel smiled at Gillian, "so, are you married Gillian?"

"No. Well, I was. But that…that didn't really work out".

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realise…" Isabel tapered off quickly diverting her eyes to the floor. Was that glee in her brows she was trying to hide? Gillian watched her quizzically. "So, you are separated then?"

"Divorced" Gillian replied firmly. What was that on Isabel's face? Satisfaction?

"Any children?"

"No". Gillian didn't even remotely entertain the idea of opening up to Isabel. Frankly it was none of her business. Isabel's searching brown eyes rested on Gillian. There was a lot more to this girl, Gillian decided. She needed to change the subject, take control of the situation.

"So why did you decide to study psychology? Why then switch to practice law?"

Isabel smiled wryly, "I have a rather vestedinterest in children who suffer from PTSD and its on-going effects into adulthood." Gillian noted the twist of her hands – typically a nervous gesture, but her eyes betrayed no anxiety, they were angry more than anything. "So, that, that was the catalyst for psychology" Isabel continued, "once I had that degree, I quickly realised that the best way to protect the kids I spent years learning about was to become an advocate for them".

"That all sounds very noble Isabel".

"You don't think I'm noble at all." Those keen brown eyes were piercing Gillian again. She didn't miss much.

"I'm sorry?" Gillian casually looked over at the bar, where the hell was Cal?

"You don't think I'm noble. You don't like me".

"Well that's ridiculous: I don't know you". Gillian grimaced, deflection 101. Isabel laughed softly, "no, you don't know me at all".

By no small miracle Cal retuned at that exact moment with Eli and Ria. He offered Gillian the empty champagne flute in his hand, half smiling. "Sorry love. I got a bit caught up with these two and ah…well yes. I may have drunk your drink."

His gaze moved slowly between Gillian and Isabel. There was a weird vibe. Her blue eyes looked agitated, flicking across the room towards the exit. She waved his comment away with a hand, "its fine, I don't feel like it any more anyway".

"You ready to leave love? We've got work to do and I don't wanna be up all bloody night". Gillian smiled gratefully. There were moments where she could murder Cal for reading her, but tonight was not it. That was one of the benefits of their science; their relationship, Gillian mused. When it really mattered, they were there for each other. She'd tell him everything in the car she thought. Cal would believe her this time. He'd know what to do.

XXX

Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the Lightman Group. Gillian's louboutins clicked elegantly against the polished concrete; his lazy gait a second behind her stride.

"You honestly didn't see it tonight?" her face was enquiring but her voice betrayed the disbelief, bordering on anger that she felt.

Cal shrugged as they passed the break room, "I don't know what to tell you Foster. I like her".

X

"I quite like you, you know" Isabel whispered to Loker. He smiled; that smile he saves for only her.

"I quite like you too".

The key turned easily, the lock making an audible clunk. The streetlight speckled the cavernous lounge with gentle shards of light. She turned to him, taking his hands in hers, leading him inside. The dark heightened his senses. He was acutely aware of her delicate hands tracing up his chest; the friction from her nails scratching against his shirt. When she brought her face to his, kissing his temple, musky, seductive notes of her perfume overwhelmed him. His lips met hers; gently, softly. She tasted of expensive champagne and fresh raspberries. The refracted light danced across the room making patterns on the carpet. Eli pulled her closer against his body, his sense of urgency growing. He gently bit her bottom lip and a moan escaped from the back of her throat: primal and insistent.

X

He liked her? She felt like she had been slapped. Her hands were balled at her side, veins slightly raised against porcelain skin.

"Do you not understand what I am saying to you?" She had stopped walking and was standing several metres from his office. He stared at her blankly. Was he purposely antagonising her? Rhetorical question: of course he was. He was so goddamn frustrating.

"You are infuriating! You don't think twice about galloping in on you goddamn white horse when it suits you but when I actually _come_ to you for help this is what I get? My God, you make me _so_ mad Cal". Her voice was steady but she was visibly fighting to control it. She inhaled sharply. Blue eyes searing into him. Anger coursing through her.

X

The bedroom door slammed open against the wall as Loker pushed Isabel up against it, surrendering to the lust coursing through him. She impatiently clawed at his shirt, deftly undoing the topmost buttons and tugging it over his head. They moved into the centre of the room, lips locked, tongues exploring, hands roaming. She pulled away from the kiss, smiling, and turned her back to him granting access to her zip. He traced the sides of her torso with his hands kissing her neck. He carefully pulled the zip downward, the champagne fabric cascading to the floor, gathering at her ankles. She stepped out of it, delicately flicking it across the room and turned to face Eli.

His breath caught in his chest for a moment: she was exquisite. Her hair was dishevelled and skin so irresistibly smooth; brown eyes filled with desire and the tiniest fleck of vulnerability. Eli stepped in closer, pressing his body against hers, combined body heat intensifying between them. Cupping her face in his hands as they kissed he walked her backwards towards the bed.

X

"Cal, I need to know you are with me on this one". Her bright blue eyes searched his earnestly, her composure momentarily restored.

"Of course I am Gill. We're partners" he shrugged to emphasise the simplicity of his point. He led the way into his office and turned to face her.

"Right, we're partners...what the hell does that even mean Cal? That we're friends who work together? That we sit and drink scotch together after a long day? That you have someone to defend you unconditionally while we dance around that damn line? That you have someone to bail you out _every single time _you fuck something up? Nothing is ever reciprocated Cal! You can't placate me by simply _saying _you're on my side. You need to _show _me!" Her face was flushed and her chest was heaving. Cal wondered if she was referring to the Isabel situation exclusively.

"Jesus, Gill, what do you want me to do? Haul her in for bloody questionin'? On what grounds? I _am_ on your damn side and as a friend and partner I am saying you need to _let this go. _You need to let this go because you're wrong."

There he'd said it.

"Fuck you Cal".

X

Her face was flushed, chest still heaving. Eli's breathing only now returning to a normal pace. She laid her head on his sternum and he stroked her hair, continuing down her back, caressing her. "Eli?" she whispered, lifting her head.

"Mmm?" he looked down at her, contented.

Isabel moved up and kissed him slowly and sweetly. "I love you" she murmured against his lips. Eli lay down next to her, feet entwined, bodies a fraction apart. "I love you too". Her hand squeezed the arm draped across her waist as she drifted off into blissful sleep. Eli lay next to her, listening to her breathing, watching the soft rise and fall of her shoulders. He replayed it in his head over again. 'I love you'. So simple. So natural. He never thought he'd hear that from her.

X

It had been about ten minutes since Gillian had turned on her heel and stormed out. It may as well have been a lifetime. He took a generous gulp of scotch from the open bottle. 'Fuck you Cal'. He never thought he'd hear that from her. With shaking hands he took another large mouthful.


	5. Hell Hath No Fury

_**A/N **__Massive apologies for the delay in updates. RL got pretty hectic over the last month or so, but I promise that there will not be such a long wait for the next few chapters. Love and thank you to those who have stuck with me. Reviews are appreciated :)_

XXX

They say driving while experiencing any kind of intense emotional stimuli, particularly grief or anger, is almost as dangerous as driving while drunk. By that logic, Gillian was like a kamikaze pilot behind the wheel of her navy BMW.

She was fucking seething.

Operating with reckless abandon, despite the torrential rain and high traffic, she managed to get herself home.

The drive itself she couldn't entirely recall. All she could remember was the awful argument she had with Cal.

She curled her legs up underneath her, utterly despondent, as she sat alone on her leather couch in her dark, empty home, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

She said some awful things to him. She shouldn't have said them. She knew all too well how powerful her words were to him.

They sliced into his very soul and lodged there, festering like a wound that would harm him irreparably.

She looked longingly at the empty glass sitting on the coffee table, glinting in the moonlight. The imposing, unopened bottle of Glenfiddich towered next to it. Gillian usually didn't think twice about having a drink. She wasn't her father. She didn't have a problem.

But this was different: it was all too easy to try to drink her problems away. It was an immature and short term release. A thumping headache and nausea were the last things she wanted thrown into this already hideous equation.

Gillian sighed and collected the glass and the bottle and walked towards her kitchen to replace them. If Cal wasn't going to help her, she was on her own. She knew she was right and she was going to prove it, with or without him.

She watched the orange patterns from the streetlights flit across her marble bench top. Perhaps she'd sleep better with one drink in her: keep the monsters at bay just for tonight at least. She unscrewed the single malt slowly, poured a small amount in the glass and downed it in one go.

XXX

Cal woke, disorientated and groggy. _Where the hell am I?_

He sat up slowly allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness that enveloped him. Shadowy silhouettes began forming in front of him – a coffee table, a desk; all strangely familiar. His office. He was in his office.

The empty bottle of scotch lay discarded of the floor next to the couch he had evidently fallen asleep on. The Williams files sat abandoned on the coffee table.

A searing pain roared across his brain from right to left temple.

He remembered fighting with Gillian. She left. He started drinking.

His head was seriously pounding: he needed an aspirin and litres of water but the effort it required to stand almost made him think twice about moving. Summoning every ounce of energy he had, Cal stood and lurched out of the office to the break room where he grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge.

His socks shuffled rhythmically across the polished concrete floor. Flashes of their argument began playing back in his mind, like a re-run of a bad day-time soap opera.

"_Nothing is ever reciprocated". _He ran a hand through his hair aggressively.

"_Defend you unconditionally"_. He kicked the office door open and stubbed his toe.

"_We're partners"_. He groaned as he resumed his horizontal position on the couch, watching the scarlet red seeping through the ivory white of his sock.

"_Let this go…You're wrong"_. He unscrewed the cap off a bottle of water and drank thirstily and loudly, trying to block out the noise in his head.

"_Fuck you Cal". _He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, willing everything to stop spinning, to stop shouting.

Just let it stop.

He had to make this right with Gillian.

Typically, in his infinite, pig-headed wisdom, it was only now that the crux of the argument crystallised before him. She wasn't mad at him for not seeing what she saw. She was mad at him for not backing her; for not shelving his bloody ego and controlling his pride. This was about him now, not Isabel, and he'd be damned if she did something stupid trying to prove her point to him.

He finished the first bottle of water and popped an aspirin he had taken from the first aid kit in the break room. It was 3:42am. He could sleep for a few more hours before he needed to get up and get to work. He was going to find out everything he could on Isabel Farrow.

XXX

The relentless rain from the night before continued well into the following day. Dark clouds gathered and hung like particularly stubborn smog, shrouding the city in a grey blanket.

Gillian sat at her kitchen table watching the tiny rivulets of rain elegantly streak down the window panes.

Finally she collected her car keys from the corner of the table and grabbed the black umbrella leaning on the wall by the front door. Locking the door behind her and haphazardly opening the umbrella, Gillian took a deep breath, as if she was about to dive into a swimming pool, and ran through the hammering rain towards her car.

Rain assaulted her windscreen as she drove to Loker's apartment. The traffic lights made psychedelic patterns as they refracted through the rain and glass.

She pulled up to the curb and killed the engine. The claws of doubt began to pick at the corners of her mind. If she was wrong, this would turn into a complete disaster. The consequences didn't really bear thinking about. She will have alienated both Cal and Eli and humiliated and upset an innocent woman.

She watched the raindrops ferociously landing on her windscreen then turning to a graceful trickle down the glass. The hypnotic effect of the rain pushed away her doubt, welcoming back her resolve even stronger.

She knew what she saw. She knew what she felt. _I know I am right about this Cal._

XXX

"Gillian" Isabel was unsmiling as she opened the door of Eli's apartment. There was no surprise, just a look of satisfaction; she may as well have said 'I've been expecting you'. Her eyes certainly were.

"Eli's at his parents' today. He's not expected back until tomorrow", her satisfaction spread to a smirk like she'd divined this moment which was finally coming to pass.

"May I come in?" Gillian mentally steeled herself and her face betrayed none of the apprehension she felt.

Isabel pulled the door wider and stepped aside.

"Can I make you some tea? Coffee?" Isabel's kind and inviting smile was back, her brown eyes emitting the warmth of genuine delight. Cal's mask had nothing on this girl.

"Coffee, thank you".

Isabel moved about the kitchen like she'd lived there for years, retrieving coffee cups from the cabinet above the sink, opening the jar that contained the plunger coffee and heaping two tablespoons into the plunger, setting the jug to boil.

She turned back to Gillian who was seated on a barstool at the island in the kitchen.

Her deep brown eyes twinkled like a child on Christmas morning. "So, what can I do for you?"

It wasn't a question. It was a challenge.

Her sugary sweet demeanour was laced with contempt. Gillian drew breath when she noticed it: the anger was overwhelming.

She used a rising inflection to indicate a question but Gillian knew better. She heard the tremors and the syllables unnaturally drawn out.

This was a thinly veiled accusation, pure and simple.

XXX

Cal powered up his Macbook as he shovelled into this mouth bits of the blueberry muffin he bought from Gillian's favourite coffee shop next door.

The computer screen slowly lit up and Cal dragged his hands through his hair and brought them resting at the base of his neck where his shoulder muscles began.

He may as well be searching for a needle in a haystack. He had no idea to start.

He drained his coffee cup while he stared at the bright, empty screen. He knew he had pissed Gillian off, but she was being so stubborn.

He didn't know how to communicate to her that she was mistaken. _"You're wrong"_. The odds that something existed where both he and Torres didn't see it were virtually zero.

With a frustrated sigh he opened up the search engines accessible by the Lightman Group, which included, care of Wallowski, certain police records and other information which really should be confidential. Cal grimaced at the cold irony of using Wallowski's resources to prove Gillian wrong.

XXX

"Look Isabel, I don't know what your problem with me is, but we need to sort it out". Gillian grimaced at how juvenile she sounded. "Eli is a fantastic employee and friend of mine, and for his sake, we need to get on".

Isabel pushed a mug of hot and richly aromatic coffee towards Gillian. "You have no clue who I am, do you?"

Gillian's eyebrows contracted in confusion. She let her gaze slowly skate over the young woman. She tried to look past the distracting beauty, to _really _see her. But Gillian was drawing blanks.

"Should I know who you are?"

The atmosphere in the kitchen was suddenly claustrophobic. Isabel drew a barstool up opposite Gillian and sat unblinking while she sipped her coffee. Gillian felt uneasy and for the second time wondered exactly what she had walked into.

"You were an employee at the Pentagon?"

"Yes".

"And then about seven and half years ago you left to start the Lightman Group with Dr Lightman".

"Yes".

"You met him in the course of your work at the Pentagon?"

"Yes." Gillian's staccato, unyielding answers did nothing to dissuade Isabel from pressing on with what was beginning to feel like an interrogation.

All the years she had spent working at the Lightman Group, perfecting her ability to identify and read the minute nuances of a personal's facial expressions, suddenly seemed invalid. Isabel was damn near impossible to read clearly. Every facial twitch appeared rehearsed: it was as if every conversation between them was orchestrated by her and she'd throw in a few genuine quirks, like little breadcrumbs being dropped for Gillian.

Gillian's fingers traced the fine porcelain handle of her coffee mug "Isabel, should I know who you are?" she repeated.

Isabel glanced downward and sighed. "I guess I am going to have to show you".

Her tone wasn't threatening, but Gillian was wary.

"Show me what, Isabel?"

Isabel ignored Gillian as she put the empty coffee cups in the dishwasher and wiped the bench down meticulously. She handed Gillian her bag and grabbed a set of car keys from a bowl by the front door.

"Let's take a drive?"

Isabel looked on as Gillian stood in the kitchen silently weighing her options.

Gillian knew she had lost control over the situation. She smiled ruefully; she'd never been in control of the situation she realised.

Isabel was angry and hurt, but Gillian didn't think she was dangerous. Gillian's tentative step towards the front door was her silent acquiescence.

XXX

Cal looked up from his laptop deeply concerned. Although disadvantaged without Loker's seriously high-level computer skills, Cal wasn't completely useless. If what he had found was legitimate, there could be a very loose, but not inconceivable, connection between Gillian and Isabel.

Cal leant back in his desk chair, crossing his ankles on his desk.

He needed more. Something more concrete.

Guilt pulled his heart into his stomach – perhaps Foster did mean something to Isabel. And perhaps, just perhaps, Cal had been played at his own game.

He swallowed hard, quelling the guilt that began to rise. He needed actual footage of Isabel to review. Without it, he couldn't prove anything.

XXX

The car ride was silent interrupted only by the rhythmic squeak of windscreen wiper rubber on glass.

The car slowed into a sharp corner as they turned down a long and quiet suburban street.

"Where are we going Isabel?"

Oak trees lined the curb. Attractive homes with manicured lawns flashed past the car.

"I told you I needed to show you".

"Show me what?" Gillian didn't bother to hide the impatience in her voice. She knew she shouldn't rile Isabel but this whole debacle was getting frustrating.

Isabel looked at Gillian sideways. Pain and sadness etched on her face. Her beauty and elegance was overtaken by anger. Anger tempered by hopelessness.

"Nine years ago you counselled a man who was very important to me, Dr Foster. He trusted you. He thought you were going to help him".

She spat the words out bitterly. Her chocolate eyes were rimmed red and salty tears threatened to spill.

"I am going to show you what you did".

XXX

Cal silently applauded the overzealous security system Gillian had insisted on installing in the building. Within a few minutes he had been able to upload the film taken the evening Isabel had met Loker's colleagues at the Lightman Group.

Cal had since watched the silent, grainy recording about 15 times. Viewing at normal speed hadn't yielded anything, nor had slow motion. It wasn't until he pushed right in on Isabel's face and watched the clip frame by frame that he saw it.

Cal paused the video and exhaled loudly; intently studying the black and white still. The pain was barely concealed; false happiness assuaged completely unchecked rage.

Guilt tugged at his chest harder than before with a fear swift on its heels.

Foster. She was right. And she was in trouble.


End file.
